Tuncay Mataracı (2 February 1935 – 17 December 2020) was a Turkish politician and government minister.
Early life and education
Tuncay Mataracı was born on 2 February 1935 in
Rize
Rize (; ; ; ka, რიზე}; ) is a coastal city in the eastern part of the Black Sea Region of Turkey. It is the seat of Rize Province and Rize District. His father is Mehmet Tevfik Mataracı. He finished his primary and secondary education in his hometown. After graduating from high school in
Trabzon
Trabzon, historically known as Trebizond, is a city on the Black Sea coast of northeastern Turkey and the capital of Trabzon Province. The city was founded in 756 BC as "Trapezous" by colonists from Miletus. It was added into the Achaemenid E ...
, Mataracı started to study law at the university. However, he dropped out and discontinued his education after a while. He then studied at a civil engineering college, and obtained a certificate as a construction technician.
Mataracı served as manager of Village Public Works Services in Rize Province before he became an executive of the Tea Planters' Cooperation and later head of Province Physical Education Directorate.
Politician career
Tuncay Mataracı entered politics and was elected deputy of Rize Province from Justice Party at the 1977 general election. With the forming of a coalition cabinet by
Bülent Ecevit
Mustafa Bülent Ecevit (; 28 May 1925 – 5 November 2006) was a Turkish politician, statesman, poet, writer, scholar, and journalist. He served as the Prime Minister of Turkey four times between 1974 and 2002. He served as prime minister in 197 ...
, he was appointed Minister of Customs and Monopolies in the 42nd government on January 5, 1978.
Responsible also for state monopoly of tea trade in Turkey and proficient in
tea processing
Tea processing is the method in which the leaves from the tea plant ''Camellia sinensis'' are transformed into the dried leaves for brewing tea.
The categories of tea are distinguished by the processing they undergo. In its most general form, te ...
from his former employment, Mataracı changed the tea leaf picking policy which was rigorously enforced. The picking of tea leaves was allowed to be done only by hand in Turkey in order to achieve a good quality tea product. However, hand picking did not allow reasonable profit for the tea planters in Rize due to the high labor costs. Mataracı lifted the ban on tea leaf picking by tool, and this was much welcomed in his hometown.
On 12 November 1979, the cabinet dissolved and Mataracı's term as a minister ended.
Conviction
On 27 April 1981, the
National Security Council
A national security council (NSC) is usually an executive branch governmental body responsible for coordinating policy on national security issues and advising chief executives on matters related to national security. An NSC is often headed by a n ...
(, MGK), the military junta, which had staged the 1980 military coup on 12 September put Tuncay Mataracı on trial at the
Supreme Court
In most legal jurisdictions, a supreme court, also known as a court of last resort, apex court, high (or final) court of appeal, and court of final appeal, is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
(). The trial began on 15 June 1981. Mataracı was accused of bribery and abuse of power during his office term as government minister along with 21 co-defendants, among them former
Minister of Public Works
This list indicates government departments in various countries dedicated to public works or infrastructure.
See also
* Public works
* Ministry or Board of Public Works, the imperial Chinese ministry overseeing public projects from the Tang ...
, Şerafettin Elçi, and a mobster, Abuzer Uğurlu. On 16 March 1982, the Supreme Court sentenced Mataracı to 36 years of aggravated imprisonment, a fine of 787,386,166 Turkish lira, life banishment from government office and driver's license revocation for six-years. Of the co-defendants, only Şerafettin Elçi was acquitted while all others were convicted to various terms of imprisonment between ten months and six years. Mataracı's punishment was the most severe of any government minister in Turkey.
Mataracı was incarcerated in
Kayseri
Kayseri () is a large List of cities in Turkey, city in Central Anatolia, Turkey, and the capital of Kayseri Province, Kayseri province. Historically known as Caesarea (Mazaca), Caesarea, it has been the historical capital of Cappadocia since anc ...
Prison. Upon the Law #4616 on Parole enacted in 1991, he was released from the prison. The high amount of fine, which he did not pay in the beginning vanished into thin air. When he paid the fine in 1993, it had lost value due to high inflation rate.
In an interview made with a local daily in Rize in March 2013, he stated that he is the only banned politician left, and the ban would terminate at the end of 2013.
Death
Mataracı died from
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic.
The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...
in Istanbul, on 17 December 2020, during the
COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic.
The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include f ...
. He was interred at
Zincirlikuyu Cemetery
The Zincirlikuyu Cemetery () is a modern burial ground in the European part of Istanbul, Turkey. It is administered by the Metropolitan Municipality. Many prominent figures from the world of politics, business, sports and arts rest here.
The ce ...